Diascia plant named ‘Sumdia 03’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Diascia  plant named ‘Sumdia 03’, characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; freely and early flowering habit; intense purplish red-colored flowers; and good temperature tolerance.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Diascia elegans cultivar Sumdia 03.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Diascia plant, botanically known as Diascia elegans, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Sumdia 03.

The new Diascia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Lüdinghausen, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new early flowering Diascias with numerous flowers, attractive flower coloration and long flowering period.

The new Diascia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in June, 2002 of a proprietary seedling of Diascia elegans identified as code number 22, not patented, as the female, or seed parent, with a proprietary seedling of Diascia elegans identified as code number 6, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The new Diascia was selected as a single plant from the resulting progeny of the cross-pollination by the Inventor in April, 2003, in an controlled environment in Lüdinghausen, Germany.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Lüdinghausen, Germany since April, 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new Diascia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Sumdia 03 have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique charcteristics of ‘Sumdia 03’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sumdia 03’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Diascia:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Freely and early flowering habit.     -   4. Intense purplish red-colored flowers.     -   5. Good temperature tolerance.

Plants of the new Diascia differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Diascia flower for a longer period of time         than plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Diascia have darker colored flowers than         plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Diascia differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Diascia are more freely branching than         plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Diascia have stronger lateral branches than         plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Diascia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Codiared, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,176. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Lüdinghausen, Germany, plants of the new Diascia differed from plants of the cultivar Codiared in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Diascia were more compact than plants of         the cultivar Codiared.     -   2. Plants of the new Diascia were more freely branching than         plants of the cultivar Codiared.     -   3. Plants of the new Diascia had smaller leaves than plants of         the cultivar Codiared.     -   4. Plants of the new Diascia flowered about two weeks earlier         than plants of the cultivar Codiared.     -   5. Plants of the new Diascia and the cultivar Codiared differed         in flower color as plants of the cultivar Codiared had lighter         colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Diascia.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a top perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sumdia 03’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical flowering stems of ‘Sumdia 03’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Lüdinghausen, Germany, in a glass-covered greenhouse during the spring with day temperatures about 15 to 18° C., night temperatures about 12° C., and light levels about 20,000 to 30,000 lux. Plants were grown for about 12 weeks in 12-cm containers; plants were pinched one time.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Diascia elegans cultivar Sumdia 03. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary seedling of Diascia elegans             identified as code number 22, not patented.         -   Male parent.—Proprietary seedling of Diascia elegans             identified as code number 6, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 7 days at 18° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 8 to 9 days at 18° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 16 days             at 18° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 24 days             at 18° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; 162A in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.             Freely branching with lateral branches potentially forming             at every node. Moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 15 to 18 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 20 to 25 cm.         -   Lateral branches (peduncles).—Length: About 20 cm. Diameter:             About 1 to 1.5 mm. Internode length: About 1.5 to 2.5 cm.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite; simple. Length:             About 1.8 to 2 cm. Width: About 1.5 to 1.7 cm. Shape: Ovate.             Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin: Serrate. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Venation pattern:             Pinnate. Color: Developing foliage, upper surface: 147A.             Developing foliage, lower surface: 148B. Fully expanded             foliage, upper surface: 137A. Fully expanded foliage, lower             surface: 138B. Venation, upper surface: 137A. Venation,             lower surface: 138B. Petiole length: About 3 to 5 mm.             Petiole diameter: About 1 mm. Petiole texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Petiole color, upper             surface: 137B. Petiole color, lower surface: 138B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Solitary zygomorphic flowers arranged             on terminal racemes. Five modified petals fused at base: two             upper (banner) petals, two lateral petals, and one larger             lower lip petal. Flowers not persistent. Flowers face             upright to outwardly.         -   Quantity.—Freely flowering; typically about 12 buds and             flowers per lateral branch.         -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period, plants             flower continuously from early spring until the fall in             Germany.         -   Time to flower.—Early flowering; plants begin flowering             about six weeks after pinching.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About four to five days.         -   Fragrance.—Not detected.         -   Inflorescence size.—Length: About 10 to 12 cm. Width: About             4 cm.         -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 2 to 2.2 cm. Depth: About 2 to             2.2 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Shape: Ovoid. Color: 138A.         -   Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five modified petals fused at             base: two upper (banner) petals, two lateral petals, and one             larger lower lip petal. Lower surfaces of lateral petals             modified into nectar spurs; and lower lip petal convex             forming a roughly horizontal insect landing platform.             Length: Banner petals: About 8 to 9 mm. Lateral petals:             About 8 to 10 mm. Lower lip petal: About 1.2 cm. Width:             Banner petals: About 8 mm. Lateral petals: About 6 to 8 mm.             Lower lip petal: About 1.5 to 1.7 cm. Lateral petal spur:             Length: About 6 mm. Diameter, at petal attachment: About             2 mm. Shape, all petals: Roughly obovate. Apex, all petals:             Rounded. Margin, all petals: Entire. Texture, all petals,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, all             petals: When opening, upper surface: 48A. When opening,             lower surface: 48D. Fully opened, upper surface: 53C; spots             towards the base, N92A; color becoming closer to 54A with             development. Fully opened, lower surface: 54B. Nectar spurs:             59A; between the spurs, 11C.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals             fused at base; star-shaped. Length: About 2 mm. Width: About             1 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color, upper surface: 141B. Color, lower surface:             141A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1.2 to 1.5 cm. Width: About 1 mm.             Angle: About 45° from vertical. Strength: Moderately strong.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About             three or four. Anther shape: Round. Anther length: Less than             0.5 mm. Anther color: 9A. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen             color: 9A. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length:             About 2 mm. Style length: Less than 0.1 mm. Style color:             138D. Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color: 138D. Ovary             color: 138D.         -   Fruit/seed.—Fruit and seed production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Diascia have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Diascia. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Diascia have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from 0 to 40° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Diascia plant named ‘Sumdia 03’, as illustrated and described. 